Before the cooling tower refreshes, Maehara Seiji decides to run for new Japanese prime minister; "security policy" receives affirmation from the Liberal Democratic Party
According to the report, since the time when the Democratic Party was still the opposition party, Maehara has visited the US annually with Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers and frequently held study sessions on security policy with lawmakers from the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito. As a result, he has built up quite a network within both the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito. Regarding this, Shigeru Ishiba, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party Policy Research Committee stated: "Among the candidates who have decided to run in the Democratic Party leadership election, Maehara's thoughts on security policy are closest to ours."
However, the report also pointed out that Maehara resigned as Japan's foreign minister in March this year due to receiving political donations from a Korean resident in Japan. The Liberal Democratic Party, which holds a dominant position in the House of Councillors, has some grievances about this. Kazuhiro Yamamoto, chairman of the House of Councillors Political Affairs Committee criticized, saying "It is unreasonable for Maehara to run in the Democratic Party leadership election as a politician." Masami Nishida, a House of Councillors member who raised inquiries in the Diet regarding the political donation issue, also sarcastically remarked: "Maehara's participation in the party leadership election itself, without being able to provide any explanation regarding the political donation issue, shows the depletion of talent within the Democratic Party."